Revelations
by missashlee28
Summary: [IchigoxRukia] Ichigo has a sudden revelation one morning when his closet door is opened.
1. Part I: When the closet door opens

**Revelations**

**missashlee28**

**Rating: PG-13 (to be safe)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or the characters in this piece. **

**Summary: Ichigo has a sudden revelation when his closet door is opened one morning.

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He'd seen her in many different states of dress. Pajamas, blouses and skirts, dresses and of course, her school uniform. He didn't know why this morning had affected him like it did, but he did know one thing. He didn't like it.

Rukia was in some ways his partner and they often shared and switched the roles of mentor and apprentice. He grudgingly respected her and had to admit that his unusual penchant for her company had evolved from a tolerance of her presence to becoming unbalanced without it. At times he even considered her a friend, someone to share a special moment with or somebody to talk to if need be. But he most certainly did not have feelings or urges beyond that. He didn't want to get to know her better or have her squirm her way any deeper into his soul than she already was. He knew with absolute certainty that he did not desire her.

Except for this morning….and all the subsequent following moments when he had been unable to purge his mind of the image of (this he was the most certain of) a highly desirable Rukia.

She had been running late. Why? He had no clue. He had been standing at his desk shoving his books that he had used for last night's homework back into his school bag. As the closet door opened and his gaze swung over, he had suddenly seen her as he never had before.

She had one foot on the ground, the other still in the process of swinging off the bed, which gave him a glimpse of the pale creamy flesh of the inside of her thigh. As her leg touched down, her skirt fluttered down, still moving and unsettled, covering and uncovering to his gaze enticing glimpses of her skin in an unbearably teasing manner.

His heart was pounding in his chest and his mouth was suddenly dry. Had he ever seen her in that position? He must have, but it had never seemed like this. Like some light switch turned on, he was abruptly aware of her as a woman. Not just any woman, Rukia. His Rukia.

God, _his_ Rukia? Where had that come from?

Her vest was still unbuttoned and she was looking down concentrating on buttoning it, her brows drawn together in thought. She was unaware of him it seemed, but that seeming unawareness was not mutual.

Had he ever seen her while she was still dressing? It seemed like such an intimate thing to be seeing, and it struck him that few, if any, had witnessed Rukia like this. Her breasts were thrust forward, straining against her fitted white shirt, while her chest pushed forward, making it easier for her to see the buttons on her jacket.

That finished, she drew her hair out from under collar with a shake and quickly ran her hands through it.

Ichigo suddenly felt the desire to replace her fingers with his own. To run his fingers through that black shiny mass of hair he was sure would be as soft as silk. To bring the strands to his face and feel them against his cheek and inhale the smell of freshness mixed with soap. Just as Rukia always smelled.

God, why did he know what she smelled like? This must have started earlier than he thought. Surly he had not noticed these things before. Had he? But if he hadn't then why did he know what she smelled like? It seemed like it would be impossible not to notice everything about her from this point forward.

A memory assaulted him then. He was sitting while Rukia was standing over his shoulder trying to look at something, her hair sliding against his check, tickling his skin, riveting his senses with that refreshing scent, her scent.

She finally noticed him it seemed. She flashed him a smile, a small twist or her lips really, while reaching behind her for her school bag.

"I'm leaving now, Ichigo. I'll see you at school." She climbed out his window in a flash of gray, leaving him in complete confusion as he no longer understood his world.

What had happened to him? Why did he suddenly see her as so much more than he ever had before?

Snapping out his daze, he tried to concentrate on getting ready for school before his friends showed up to walk with him.

Somehow, he had a feeling that this would be a very long day.

* * *

Ichigo dropped his school bag on the floor and flopped down onto his bed. Burying his face in pillow, he tried to forget about the day and simply focus on nothing.

School had seemed like a second form of hell, his inability to concentrate on anything today had been particularly frustrating. He's glanced discreetly at Rukia several times and had finally come to the conclusion that he could never go back to seeing her as he had before. At this point he wasn't sure if he had ever been indifferent to her and perhaps just had always been in a state of semi-denial, finally coming to the conclusion that he desired her in so many different complex ways this morning when he could no longer trick himself in the light of day.

It seemed that every movement of hers was filled with a flowing sense of tranquility and grace, which despite the uncomfortable reactions it caused him, still managed to fill him with a sense of long forgotten peace and balance.

Lunch had been a dual form of relief and torture. He had never been happier to be free of Rukia's presence and to be spared of the need to converse with others at the same time. While at the same time, he couldn't stop thinking about his revelations of that morning and wondering where she was, what she was doing or if she was happy.

Walking home from school with her by his side was not nearly as bad as he thought it would be. In fact, he had derived some sort of perverse pleasure from being so near to her and just enjoying her company while they strolled home in silence. That was one thing Rukia could always do that others could not. And that was to be what he needed when he needed it. When he needed silence, she seemed to understand and those moments of boring everyday conversation, those moments that were really his lifeblood, were always given to him when she sensed he needed them.

Now he was confined to his room with her, and he had always enjoyed that too he now realized, but with that realization came many others. Her presence was in this room in such a way that it would never leave. He could feel her in his room, smell her scent in his room, and in every place he looked, he had a memory of her in that spot with him.

It was too much, too soon after his revelations that morning to be in this room with her. He grabbed a change of clothes and changed into a pair of running shorts and casual t-shirt and threw some sweatbands around his wrists. Just as he was opening the door to leave his room, she came through the window.

Her voice floated over to him. "Where are you going? Outside?"

He shut the door and turned to face her while she approached him. He felt every inch separating them as he never had before and in his head screaming for her to come closer and at the same time to move away.

He cleared his throat and answered, "I just needed to blow off some steam, and I thought some fresh air might help me."

She looked at him for a moment in contemplation. She took a step closer and he saw the spark of interest in her eyes, practically glowing with whatever idea she had in mind. She gave him a smile, "I know a great way to work off some steam."

Dear God, was she teasing him? Was this some sort of sexual banter that his mind had made up out pure hope? Was that quirk of her lips implying what he hoped?

Apparently it was not as she continued happily, "We should go for a run together. I need the exercise too, this body is hard to adapt to in situations when running is needed." She gave him a hopeful look, "Come on, it will still be fresh air for you and might help you clear your thoughts. Give me a second to change and then we will go."

Obviously his approval of this plan was not needed as she went into the closet to change. Knowing that he would have to leave through the front door to tell his sisters where he was going and that Rukia would be waiting for him outside after climbing out his window, he left the house.

As they met up outside he barely glanced at her before starting to jog down the path leading away from his house, knowing that he did not want to see her in whatever revealing outfit she would have on for exercising purposes.

He set a pace that he knew she could keep up with but would still be a challenge and tried to keep from looking at her. He did not want to see her long legs running in tandem with him or her hair flowing unbound in the wind. He didn't want to hear the sound her soft breath puffing beside him or feel this sense of peace that always enveloped him from head to toe when he was near her.

But he did notice those things and could not seem to stop himself from it. However, already he was getting used to those feelings and beginning to accept them for what they were and meant.

Finally, when it starting to get dark and he knew it was getting close to time for dinner, he started back towards the house. Rukia followed him quietly, seemingly happy just to enjoy the fresh air and burn calories.

He walked up with her to the window before he started around for the front door. She turned around and looked up at him, instead of starting to climb through the window.

He thought right then, that for every inch that she was arousing to him; she was just as every inch adorable. Her cheeks were flushed from their run and her hair was ruffled from the wind. Looking down on her he could see the full sweep of her eyelashes and the delicate arch of her eyebrow.

Her eyes, so filled with emotion, so deep he felt would drown in their depths, narrowed on him with precision. She pressed another smile on him as he wondered if she always smiled this much or if he had simply never noticed before. "That was nice, Ichigo. We should do it more often."

He gave an imperceptible nod of his head to her statement and watched her climb inside his room.

He decided then that he would go insides, eat dinner, do his homework, read some manga, and then sleep. Then perhaps tomorrow when he saw her coming out of the closet again he could keep the drool from escaping his mouth and that emotion he didn't want to recognize buried deep within.

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This was my first Bleach fic, so I'm not too sure about the characterizations, but all the same I hope you liked!


	2. Part II: Payback

**Revelations**

**missashlee28**

**Part II: Payback**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Disclaimer: Look to previous chapter**

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Uniform, uniform, baseball glove, old t-shirt, where was the damned thing? He knew it was in here somewhere. Hell, the closet wasn't that big or disorganized, so really this should be easy.

Of course, nothing was ever easy these days.

Ichigo resumed his search. Clean sheets, pillowcases, spare backpack, this was beginning to prove fruitless and look pointless.

But he had to remember this afternoon; he could not have a repeat of that because he wasn't sure he could survive it. Actually, he knew he couldn't survive it. As a matter of fact, he wasn't sure he'd live through the repercussions of this afternoon, let alone another one.

He searched with renewed vigor as his memories assaulted him.

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They'd been walking home together, not an unusual occurrence really. And the sky had been overcast, also, not really an unusual occurrence. Rain was sprinkling down on them, but they were in no hurry as the rain was light and refreshing and the air musky with the smell of water.

Ichigo was particularly enjoying the rain because it was providing a damper to his libido that was on a constant move these days.

But then when the sky suddenly opened up with a loud thunderclap and the rain began pouring down in sheets, they began to hurry home.

Both taking off their school jackets and wrapping them around their heads in futile attempts to block the rain, they jogged towards the house.

Rukia, in her body that she sometimes had trouble coordinating, slipped several times on the wet sidewalk, forcing Ichigo to reach out and steady her. Once, in a particularly bad puddle, he actually needed to catch her. He was behind her and when she fell she had went straight back. He'd needed to wrap his arms around her startlingly thin waist and felt her practically imprinted into his body from head to toe.

Despite what that had done to Ichigo's frame of mind they made it home safely and rather quickly. Rukia, as usual went in through the window, while Ichigo went in through the front. On the way to his room, he grabbed two towels so that they could dry off.

And after he stepped into his room, shut the door and turned around, _it_ happened.

_It._

Did that one small two letter word really describe the incident that had happened next?

No, not it really didn't portray his sudden shock, sudden sharpening of arousal, or even his anger at being unable to control himself.

So what happened? Well, he saw Rukia of course.

Rukia absolutely soaked to the bone with that tight fitting white shirt. Correction, now transparent shirt.

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Yeah, he'd been right, just the memories were difficult to survive.

Where was the damn umbrella? He needed it! He needed it like he'd never needed anything in his life, because he would never in a million years be able to keep his sanity or his hands off Rukia for that matter, if he ever saw her that way again.

So, back to it, he knew it was in here somewhere.

More clothes, old schoolbooks, paper. He'd search forever if needed.

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He'd reached out to give her one of the towels but had frozen in mid-reach. Her shirt was sticking to her like a second skin. It was incredibly transparent as was her skimpy white bra beneath her shirt.

For a fifteen year old guy, the site of Rukia's bra alone would have been enough to make him happy for life and be the inspiration for a month's worth of wet dreams, but seeing that bra as also transparent was enough to possibly kill him.

She was a sight to behold. Her hair was soaked, but instead of looking like a drowned rat, it looked even darker than midnight and was creating little rivulets of water that fell becomingly around her. It was like she was some water nymph rising out of the ocean under the stars.

His gaze followed one of those little drops of water as it ran down her slender neck and dropped into that hidden valley of cleavage, causing his heated gaze to fall to her breasts.

They were amply outlined by her shirt and her nipples were hard and erect from the cold. Her shirt was so stuck onto her skin that he could see the small indent of her belly button.

Her skirt was also clinging to her and man, he'd always known she had a great ass.

It was almost as good as seeing her naked as a matter of fact. Her clothes, barely there, but still obscuring parts of here were like the greatest tease in the world. It was like giving him a glimpse of the golden gates of heaven, seeing the beauty inside and the gate half way open. So close, yet so far, knowing that someday that gate could be fully open or fully closed.

Embarrassed that he'd been blatantly eyeing her, he dropped his gaze and extended the towel to her.

"Thanks," she mumbled as she snatched the towel from his limp grasp.

He thought she might be as embarrassed as him and decided that for both their sakes to leave the room and give them both some privacy. So after grabbing a change of clothes, he left.

He toweled dry, changed into warm clothes and felt a little more in control after that. Still not ready to face Rukia though, he went into the kitchen and made some hot tea for the both of them.

He looked out the window and saw that the weather had yet to improve and decided to check and make sure his sisters were okay.

After seeing that Yuzu and Karin were home and in dry clothes, he headed back to his room with the tea in tow.

When he re-entered he saw Rukia with the closet door open sitting on her bed. She had changed into a chocolate brown velour tracksuit and was still in the process of drying the ends of her hair.

Ichigo set her cup of tea on his desk and sat down in a nearby chair to drink his own cup of tea.

He looked over at Rukia and saw her now brushing her hair while looking out the window. Her cheeks were pink from their recent encounter with the towel and her hair was slightly wavy from the combination rain and the towel drying Rukia had given it.

There were times where he thought she looked erotic and exotic and earlier had been one of those times. But at times like these…she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

She was now standing by his window looking out with her cup of tea, silently contemplating the night. She had a small blanket draped over her shoulders and her cheeks were flushed from the warmness of the tea and his room.

She looked content and peaceful at his window and most of the time Ichigo managed to think of her as her hot ass-kicking, volatile tempered self. But sometimes, when he saw that other side of her, he remembered just how little he knew of her.

Of course, he knew the things that really mattered, that she was honest, compassionate, brave and that although she tried hard to hide it, a deep affection for all those she knew.

Other than those things though, he knew little more than that. Who were her parents, her family? How had she lived before coming here? Who had been her friends or when was her birthday? What had happened to her in the past that sometimes put those sad emotions on her face?

And at times like these, when he began wondering about her, about who she was and how he would manage life without her living in his closet, he knew that these moments were much more dangerous to him than any moments of erotic transparent clothing.

Right now he wanted nothing more than to walk up beside her and slip his arms around her and enfold her into his embrace. Wanted to bury his face in her hair and hold Rukia. Wanted to be her comfort, wanted to be wanted by her, wanted to be…cared for by her. Wanted to turn her around in his arms, look into those intelligent eyes and slowly lower his lips to hers. Wanted to feel her softness pressing into his hardness. Wanted to have his fingers buried in her hair and feel her small palm resting on his chest, burning his skin through the fabric of his shirt. Wanted to stand there next to her and have their auras mix, entangle, and combine. Wanted to be one with her and wanted to be loved by her.

He wanted her in a way that defied all explanations and he always told himself that somehow he would keep her.

However, until then…he needed to make sure no repeats of this afternoon's jog in the rain could occur. So, he stood up and opened his closet door and started looking for his misplaced umbrella.

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"Ichigo?" Rukia's questioning tone cut through his thoughts.

He grunted irritably in reply.

"What are you doing in the closet?" Her voice sounded faintly curious with a hint of confusion.

"I'm looking for something."

"What exactly?"

God, she really hated ambiguous answers, didn't she?

"An umbrella."

A slight pause.

"A what?"

"Umbrella."

Another pause. "What is this…umbrella?"

So, she didn't know what an umbrella was, huh? As an idea formed in Ichigo's mind, so did a mischievous smirk on his face. He was a genius.

And, finally, there was that damn umbrella!

He snatched it out of the closet, pasted on his most innocent expression and faced Rukia.

"You know, an umbrella. It helps protect you from the rain."

She looked doubtfully at the closed umbrella. "No offense, but I don't see how that will offer any protection against the rain."

Hook, line and sinker!

"Well, you have to open it first, of course."

She continued to look at him. After a moment, "Well open it already!"

He shook his head. "I don't think so. Its bad luck to open an umbrella if you're not outside."

She snorted in disbelief, "You're joking right?"

"There's only one way to find out, right?" He asked as he extended the umbrella towards her.

She grabbed it and looked at it in confusion for a minute.

And now for the grand finale. He leaned over, "Do you need help opening it?"

He head snapped up and just as he'd planned, she'd took his statement as a challenge. "No, of course not. I was just examining it first. I can do it myself."

Ah, perfect sweet revenge was within his grasp! He's spent countless hours battling with frustrating emotions and thoughts and had wasted hours contemplating Rukia.

And now, well, he looked over at Rukia, who was sitting on his bed, hands working at opening the umbrella (without success) while her brows were knitted together in frustration and concentration. She'd be occupied for the rest of the night. But just to be sure…

"Well, you need help Rukia, just ask." Like that would happen anytime soon.

As he left his room to go eat dinner, he could not help his satisfied smile from showing.

Payback was a bitch.

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Hey everyone! Thanks so much for all the reviews from the first chapter!

As far as this chapter goes, I honestly cannot remember if I have ever seen Rukia with an umbrella in the manga or anime, but please just go with the flow. I thought it would work well in my fic if she didn't know, so if she has been seen with an umbrella, well sorry :)

Thanks again!


	3. Part III: A Really Stupid Question

**Revelations**

**By: missashlee28**

**Part III: A Really Stupid Question**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Disclaimer: Look to previous chapters.**

**Authors Note: First, I want to thank everybody for their wonderful reviews, you are all what inspires me to keep writing. Also, I would like to thank everyone in their patience in my lack of updates. School is extremely writing intensive so it is hard to find time to write on the side, especially when working full time also.**

**I have had a lot of questions about my plans for this fic, so thanks to your patience; I will try my best to explain my intentions. This fic is really about my own personal opinion of how Ichigo deals with the normal dramatic emotions and hormones that a 15 year old deals with. I love IxR to death, but with Ichigo as 15 in this, I don't have any plans to hook them up. What I'm looking at is about six chapters and what I want to accomplish is a good feeling and general understanding of Ichigo. It's for my own benefit and the entertainment of others. I will try to create some cute IxR moments along the way however. To another question, I have no plans to make a fic from Rukia's perspective; I find her character too complex to write from a personal view point. **

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Okay, this whole thing was like a mystery. Kind of like those popular American books. What the hell were those called? Hardy Boys or something like that. It was just like that except that it had a whole lot less to do with conspiracies and law breaking a whole lot more to do with confusing physical responses to a certain raven haired shinigami who lived in his closet. So, yeah in that context, it was just like those damn mysteries.

Well, he hated mysteries. He liked his answers concrete, clear, concise and on time. He didn't want any Hardy Boys action, especially with those awful book covers.

He wanted to know right now, this minute, why he found Rukia attractive.

He shouldn't and despite Keigo's talking, he didn't think that many others did either.

However he _did _like Rukia and there was no escaping that fact. She was a good friend and despite her tendency to annoy the hell out of him, he enjoyed her company.

But that did not explain physical attraction. It did not explain sudden bouts of lust, simple everyday actions that turned tempting or the unreasonable half formed idea of kissing Rukia that always hovered in the back of his mind.

No, there was no answer. Not hat he could find anyways and asking Rukia if shinigami gave off special pheromones to appeal others to themselves (really, was there any other explanation for this attraction?) was definitely out of the question.

So…no answer.

Well, if there was no answer, then why did there have to be a question?

Really, did he have to desire Rukia? Couldn't he just turn these feelings off, much like turning a faucet of water on and off?

Perhaps, if he just put her out of his mind, it wouldn't be there anymore.

Ah, sweet peace from his tormenting thoughts sounded so wonderful.

Maybe he could start right now.

Okay. Baseball. Yes, that was nice. Manga. School. Alright, this just might work. A few more minutes of this mind therapy and he might be cured.

"Ichigo."

Okay, he was going to ignore that and keep on going. Voices could not be sexy no matter their husky tone, so he was just going to keep thinking about other things. Other things…

"Ichigo."

God, she was so cute when she was annoyed. Since his head was buried in his pillow and he wasn't looking, he could just imagine the cute pout on her face, the turn of her lips, that little crease in her forehead and the bright spark in her eyes.

"Ichigo!"

So, that one was a little less of a turn-on because she really just sounded angry and in no mood to play around, not that he ever played around with her, but it was harder to imagine lustful thoughts when he knew she was dreaming of suffocating him with his pillow.

"Ichigo! I know you're awake!"

Well, this was getting less sexy by the minute because that one was most definitely reaching a high pitch that almost hurt his ear drums. Maybe this ignoring her thing wasn't going to work after all. Perhaps he should try it when she wasn't in the same room as him.

"Ichigo, this is not a joke, so you better open your eyes right now!"

Maybe, if he just kept her perpetually pissed at him 24/7 and knew she would be opposed to his advances; he could keep his dirty thoughts away. Well, that sounded just about as good as any other of his ideas, but he could give it a shot.

However, it seemed she was already in the pissed stage and ignoring her anymore was going to result in bodily harm, so he decided it was best he answer her soon.

He turned over to face her hovering over his bed. "What?" His tone was not gentle.

She held up her little phone/ hollow radar/ tracking device/ whatever the hell it was, indicating that they had business to take care of, and stamped her foot in a timely beat all while shooting him a look that could kill.

While making a grand production of how she had interrupted him and his well needed sleep he grudgingly left the house with her company to take care of the hollow. At least chopping something's head off would be a good distraction.

* * *

So, keeping Rukia mad did nothing except instill such a deep fear in Ichigo that he slept with one eye open that night. Angry Rukia was still mostly attractive and he supposed unwanted thoughts were better than unwanted injuries anyways.

That was fine; he had a new plan anyways. He would just focus on somebody else so much that Rukia would no longer be a part of his thought process. He knew just the person too, it might be hard, well because he had never thought of this person that way, but everybody else did, so he could too.

Orhime.

She was everything Rukia was not and every guy's dream, right? Long blond hair, bright eyes, cheerful smile, long legs, sweet disposition, and of course, huge tits. Well, that was vulgar, but all part of his new mind-frame, because it was either pervert or stalker and he was going to go with the one that would bring the least amount of insanity along with it.

So, Orhime it was. It couldn't be that hard right?

Then why was he sitting at his desk, looking to the right where Rukia sat, instead of to the left, which was where Orhime was sitting?

Ichigo's head dropped to his desk in defeat. There was no way around this and no damn explanation either. Of course, Orhime was attractive, from a perspective where he could appreciate that, but from his own male perspective, the person he found attractive was Rukia.

He was only fifteen, so he wasn't really sure that he had a "type", but he'd never thought that it would be somebody like Rukia. He was a pretty smart guy, so he realized that these feelings, despite their intensity, probably wouldn't last.

But until then, it seemed like he needed to deal with them and find a semblance of inner peace, so he could make it through the day without going insane.

* * *

They were all alone. His father and sisters had left the house together for a night out but Ichigo could not go due to homework reasons. But now, his homework was finished and his family was not due home for a few more hours.

He knew the one thing Rukia loved to do more than anything else when they were home alone and with nothing else to do, it seemed like the best choice.

He shut his textbook and looked over at Rukia. She was adorable, sitting on his bed looking so excited about what they were about to do she was practically bouncing. She was kicking her legs out and had a genuine smile on her face. Ichigo had to turn his face away so she couldn't see the matching smile on his own lips. "C'mon, Rukia, let's go."

She stood up from the bed and practically ran from the room. Ichigo just followed shaking his head at her excitement while that first small step of peace, slowly infused itself within his body.

God, she loved watching TV so much it made the whole experience seem new to him also. What she lovingly referred to as the "picture box" was probably her favorite invention of the 21st century and despite her constant bragging about how her Chappy the Rabbit drawings were better, she could never seem to take her eyes off the damn thing.

Watching TV with Rukia was so normal and comfortable, that Ichigo almost felt balanced with himself again. He was beginning to realize, that his feelings would most likely not disappear for a while, but until then he could learn to live comfortably with them.

Learning to see Rukia as a companion and friend, a person with her own history and character, not just a body or an untouchable figment of some otherworldly fantasy would be the first step.

"Rukia?" His voice was soft in the dark room with only the television as light.

"Hmm?" Her gaze never traveled far from the TV.

"Do you miss being in Soul Society?"

She looked over in surprise at his personal question, her eyes wide and brows raised. She cleared her throat and looked away. "Why would you ask something like that?"

"It's just that you've been here for a while, I can't image you not being a little homesick, and yet…you never say anything."

She still wasn't looking at him, but he could feel her hesitation and he prayed for what reason he knew not, that she would not refuse him this answer. She opened her mouth and then closed it again before answering. "I suppose that at times, it feels so surreal being here, that it's not like I'm gone. Sometimes, I wonder that if I weren't being tracked because of my powers and responsibilities, if anybody would even notice that I'm gone." She gave a sad smile at that and turned away again.

They were both silent after that, as if realizing that something indefinable had taken place between them and both were afraid to say or do anything that would take that level of intimacy even further.

That night while Ichigo laid in bed, he thought of his earlier tactic and wondered why he'd done it. It hadn't really been planned out, he'd just been thinking about wanting to know her better and it had just sort of came out.

He knew one thing though.

It really hadn't helped. As a matter of fact, it might have been downright stupid. It wasn't enough that he was attracted to her but now he wanted to be somebody that made her feel needed, wanted and noticed. That when she left, she would know that she would be missed and it wouldn't be because of any damn powers, but because of the little joys that she brought back into his life.

God, he was an idiot and she was absolutely beautiful. Two constants that fate loved to rub in his face.

He really hated that.

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**In one of my reviews NissanNut mentioned that they had never pictured Rukia having a great body or being attractive. I believe that everybody has their own type and that sometimes you are attracted to somebody that you would never have believed possible. Your review was my inspiration for this chapter and this was in response to that.**

**Thank again to everyone for your reviews and please let me know how you think I'm doing!**


	4. Part IV: Strawberries

**Revelations**

**By: missashlee28**

**Part IV: Strawberries**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Disclaimer: Look to previous chapter**

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Ichigo was normally in a pretty decent mood despite the scowl that he usually had on his face. But today the bad mood currently displaying itself across his features was nothing but real.

Honestly, he got the raw end of the deal sometimes, and this time was one of them. He really didn't mind having Rukia around anymore, considering he was so used to her, but there were still some things he hated her living with him meant. One, besides the waking up in the middle of the night to kill hollows, was doing laundry.

_Her_ laundry to be exact. He didn't mind his own because, well, he wore his own clothes, but doing her laundry just plain pissed him off. However, the alternate solution of having Rukia trying to use a washing machine was too frightening a prospect to consider.

So, here he was, Sunday morning and all, washing her bed sheets and pillowcases. He hated that. Even more he hated the slight urge to take a deep smell of the sheets because he knew that they still smelled like her.

He had come to terms with his desire of her, sort of, but he refused to act like a love sick fool over her, because that would injure his pride just a little too much. Not that he didn't have ego to spare, but really it shouldn't be wasted over something mundane as this.

Which explained why he was madly stuffing the bed linens into the washer with all of his pent up frustrations while berating himself over his stupidity on such a nice day.

Rukia had a way of getting to him, even when she wasn't near.

* * *

After taking care of all of his _and _Rukia's laundry and putting them back onto the beds, Ichigo laid down on his fresh sheets and decided to relax for a moment.

He'd realized that it was hard, living day in and day out in such close quarters, with a person whom he'd grown to like and respect so much. Well, of course, it was much more than liking and respect that made him hard… _hold on,_ he thought, _rephrase that_, made _living_ with her hard. Seeing her so often gave him reason to take his frustrations out on her and sometimes that was more frequently than he liked. He liked to act like he didn't care what she thought or how she felt, but he knew better than that and he had a feeling that she knew that also. He hardly ever apologized to her if he was rude and oftentimes, he ignored her when convenient, because sometimes it was so damn hard not to.

He wondered if she ever felt insulted. Well, not the insulted that she sometimes acted like she was, but actually offended or upset with him. He hoped not.

Distressed with the road his thoughts were taking him, Ichigo sat up and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Looking around the room to see if there was anything to take his mind off his troubles, he spotted something unusual.

On his desk was a little tube of something filled with a pink liquid. He got up to closer inspect and upon further investigation realized that it was…lip-gloss?

Why the hell was this on his desk? It must have been Rukia's but he was quite sure he'd never seen her wear lip-gloss of any sort. Perhaps somebody at school had given it to her. That seemed likely, considering one never really knew what girls were up to and Ichigo felt himself especially clueless when it came to that subject.

Finding himself slightly curious now, he opened it up and took a light sniff at the contents. Strawberries. He smiled.

Now, he actually wished Rukia would wear this stuff once and while, discovering he was quite pleased with the idea. Her lips would beckon with a slight shine, looking as if she had just licked her lips and he would be unable to resist the urge to lower his mouth onto hers. He would slowly run his tongue along her lower lip, teasing and tasting at the same time, begging entrance into her mouth. Cup her nape with one hand, bringing her closer and resting his other hand on the edge of her shirt, flirting playfully with the skin of her stomach.

Ah, strawberries.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Ichigo decided that if a shower really was cold enough, it could definitely clear up a cloud of lust hanging over the brain.

* * *

_Hi everyone! I know this a short chapter and honestly I planned it on being longer but I'm actually saving a lot of it for the next chapter. I just thought that after I had started writing itthis chapter took on afunny and sweet mood and I didn't want to ruin that. I want to say thank you again to everybody that has reviewed. You have really made writing this fun! The next chapter shouldn't be too far away, since I already have half of it written. Also, please check out my new Rukia/Ichigo fic "Until You…". Thanks again everyone, until next time._


	5. Part V: Awakened

**Revelations**

**Part V: Awakened **

**missashlee28**

**Rating: PG-13 or T**

**Summary: Ichigo's seemingly perfect solution for a hot summer day backfires.**

**Author's Notes: Hi, everyone! We have finally reached that time; this will be the last chapter of Revelations. I have had a blast writing it and I would like to thank everybody who reviewed and was patient with my updates. School is finally finished and as soon as it was I whipped this out as thanks to everybody! Once again, thank you to everyone who has reviewed and inspired me!**

* * *

Sometimes, Ichigo wondered if the fates were out to get him. Specifically him and only him. And by "get" him, he meant unexplainable and never-ending torture awaiting him around every corner.

Actually, he was beginning to wonder if right now he was either incredibly blessed or incredibly cursed. This, of course, depended on how one looked upon the situation.

Witnessing this… he wasn't really sure what to feel.

Rukia was eating an ice cream cone.

Well, he wasn't sure eating was the correct term. Facing the quickly melting, sticky scoop of coldness inside of a large waffle cone she had looked even more baffled then when confronted with a juice box (he still had to open those damn things for her).

After about 30 seconds of staring, she had apparently realized that if she didn't soon decide upon a method of eating, the entire thing would wind up in a puddle at her feet.

Rukia had then tried poking the sweet substance with her finger. It seemed she had quickly discovered two things, one; it was cold and two; it was much too like liquid to endure any more poking from her finger.

At this point, Ichigo was feeling pretty smug. It was very amusing to watch Rukia trying to eat an ice cream cone. He really loved watching her when she was met with new things from this modern era that were not in Soul Society. Hell, who couldn't figure out how to eat ice cream? Even toddlers walked around with these things without managing to look like a fool. Which is definitely what she looked like right now outside of the Ice Cream Shoppe: a fool.

Deciding to take pity on her and start eating his cone so she could watch him he quickly ordered his ice cream and walked outside and across the street to the empty park. It was incredibly sunny out, so he found a shady area under a large tree which left them secluded. School had finally ended, and ice cream had seemed like the perfect idea for such a hot afternoon but it would be hell to pay if any of his friends saw him out eating ice cream with Rukia, they would surely demand an explanation and then decide to grace him with their presence.

Looking at Rukia, still feeling amused at her expression when faced with this new test, he took a long lick of his vanilla cone. She was looking at him quite intently; ready to discover the solution to her eating challenge. She copied his movement, albeit at a slower pace, still looking unsure.

When Ichigo saw her pink tongue dart out to catch a melting bead of ice cream falling down the side of the cone, he immediately realized his mistake in bringing Rukia here. She was now licking her finger which she had inadvertently stuck in the ice cream while chasing the drop from earlier. She looked at him and smiled brightly, pleased with her triumph over her food.

Suddenly feeling a whole lot less enthusiastic for the licking and sucking of ice cream and much more in the mood for something else, Ichigo looked away embarrassed.

But embarrassment or not, he had to peek over at her. What normal teenage boy would not enjoy the sight of any attractive woman eating an ice cream cone? Sure, maybe some people would enjoy it more if she had even an inkling of sexual purpose to her movements, but perhaps her naïve innocence while eating was what he found so attractive.

She looked so carefree and even, average, that he was struck anew at how much he had grown attached to her. He knew things could not last forever like this, but what would he do when someday she was gone, and he was left with an empty closet and a gaping hole in his chest? Where would he be without her enthusiasm for modern technology, her constant support of him or even her mere presence which gave him an unexplainable feeling of peace?

Looking at her again, standing under the shade of a tree with a yellow sundress on and eating an ice cream cone, he felt an emotion so strong, so deeply embedded within him; he would have been scared if not for how right it felt.

Her mouth full of waffle cone, she looked at him in confusion. "This is good, why aren't you eating yours?" At least, that's what he thought she said, after all, she did have a mouth full of food.

He took another leisurely lick of his cone, "Don't talk with your mouth full." He smirked.

At that moment he was sure he would end up with ice cream in his hair, but apparently she liked the sweet confection too much to dump it on his head. Instead she was quickly finishing her ice cream and beginning to look at his intently. "What flavor is that one?"

Not in the mood for a battle over his ice cream he responded casually, "Vanilla."

"Is it good?"

"Well I'm eating it, aren't I?"

"Can I taste it?"

"No."

A pause. He was sure she was contemplating if it would be easier to beg or tackle him to the ground. "Please?" He was sure it must have been too hot for her to consider the physical work of tackling him.

Feeling almost challenging, Ichigo met her eyes and took a deliberately long lick of his ice cream, then extended the cone to her. Still maintaining eye contact, he wondered if she would accept it. Not sure, if she was tempted by the thought of more ice cream in a new flavor or if she simply felt the dare he was issuing her and refused to back down, he was not really surprised when she made up her mind.

She placed her hand on his wrist and guided the cone to her mouth and repeated his movements, smiling mischievously the whole while. A spark had flared between them and both refused to tamper it down. Unwilling to lose, Ichigo leaned down closer, so that she would not be forced to remove her hand, and took another bite, leaving the next move up to her.

Moments passed, full of cold pink tongues, sweet vanilla ice cream, and private secret glances, they finished the shared ice cream cone. Reluctant to disrupt the enjoyable moment, neither moved from their place under the shade of the trees, hands still linked together.

Occasionally, a light breeze flew by ruffling their hair and providing a cool relief from the hot sunny day. Finally, Rukia spoke, "I think yours tasted better than mine."

He grinned and spoke quietly, "Let me taste it again."

Slowly, he bent his head and covered her lips with his and pressed her into the tree while imprinting his body upon hers. Teasing her lips with his tongue, he tasted the sweet essence of Rukia mixed with the flavors of their ice cream. One hand was braced above her head and the other still interlocked with hers, Ichigo finally was able to experience what he had been thinking of for months. She was gradually responding to his kiss; understanding that though nothing was expected of her, they were sharing a mutual commitment that would bind them together.

Brief seconds later, Ichigo lifted his head. Barely a kiss, a more fleeting touch of lips and tongue, he spoke. "I think they tasted best together."

She smiled in understanding, silently agreeing.

* * *

Later, Ichigo knew that he would never do such a thing again. At least, not they way things were at this point. They had soon been interrupted by the need to dispatch of a hollow, but he knew when the fates decided to interrupt something it was usually for a good reason. Someday, perhaps if a relationship seemed feasible he could confess what he felt for her. That she had become someone precious to him, that without her, he wasn't sure he could meet his potential. That no matter who he met later in life, she would be the one person that was so incredibly right for him, but so impossibly far out of his reach.

He had accepted that long ago, that a relationship was impossible, intangible, but today when he had felt the emotions so strongly, he had been unable to resist the temptation of those eternal thoughts.

Reflecting, he knew it had been stupid, but he didn't care. He would treasure that moment forever, no matter the cost. No regrets and no fear. Despite the fact that truly, he had accepted they could never be, today had sparked something within him that nothing could ever deny.

Hope.

* * *

I hope everybody enjoyed this! I know the timeline is a bit screwy because its summer and Rukia is obviously still there, but ignore that for the sake of this chapter. Please everyone let me know what you thought and thank you all again! 


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